CYTS

What CYTS does

CYTS (青旅假期, legal entity China CYTS Tours) is a privately held, California-based travel tour operator founded in 1999 that sells guided group tour packages primarily to North American Chinese tourists. The company operates as a direct-to-consumer business through a bilingual (Chinese and English) website (cytstours.com) supported by a Facebook page and email inquiry channel. Its core product is a comprehensive portfolio of tour packages organized into three lines: China Tours (covering classic multi-city itineraries and specialized regional modules such as Silk Road, Tibet, Xinjiang, Jiuzhaigou/Zhangjiajie, and Inner Mongolia), World Tours (Asia, Europe, South America), and a Yangtze River Cruise offering sold via an exclusive partnership with Victoria Cruises. All tours are accompanied by professional bilingual (Chinese/English) guides and use five-star or best-available hotel accommodations, with a stated no-shopping policy distinguishing the product from traditional Chinese group tours.

The business model is straightforward package-sale economics: revenue is generated per booking on a one-time unit-pricing basis, with land tour fares ranging from approximately $430 (city land tours) to $3,200 (Europe) per person, plus separately billed international and domestic airfare. Air travel is sourced through partnerships with Air China, China Eastern, China Southern, United, and Cathay Pacific; the company holds official ARC, IATA, and PATA memberships and a California Seller of Travel registration (CST# 2040980-40), which together enable regulated ticket issuance and bundled tour-air pricing. Travel insurance is provided through AIG Travel Guard. A secondary, smaller customer segment of English-speaking international tourists is served through the English-language version of the website, but the primary strategic focus and brand identity remain the North American Chinese diaspora.

Operationally, CYTS is a low-headcount, asset-light tour operator with no disclosed proprietary technology, no AI/ML capabilities, and no public API; its competitive position rests on 25+ years of brand familiarity within its target niche, established supplier relationships, and bilingual service quality. The company is wholly founder-/operator-owned with no disclosed external investment, no parent company, and no M&A activity. Geographic reach as a seller spans North America (with destination coverage extending across mainland China and ~15 international countries in Asia, Europe, and South America), but there is no global footprint claim and no physical office network beyond California.

Name

CYTS

Legal name

China CYTS Tours

Website

https://cytstours.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CYTS (青旅假期) is a privately held, California-based tour operator founded in 1999 that sells bilingual guided group tour packages — primarily China tours, plus Asia, Europe, and South America itineraries — to North American Chinese tourists through a direct-to-consumer website.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tour Operator Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Tour Operators (56152), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Land (48711)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Cruise & Land Tour (Cruisetour) Package Operators (THAKADAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

River Cruise + Land Tour Packages (Cruisetours) (THAEACAK), Cruise Travel Agencies & Specialist Cruise Consultants (THAEAFAB)

Keywords

• Guided group tours
• China tour packages
• Yangtze River cruises
• Outbound travel services
• Chinese language tourism

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tour Package Sales: CYTS generates revenue through selling packaged group tour itineraries. Each tour package includes land tour fare (accommodations, transportation, meals, entrance fees, guide service, travel insurance) plus optional international and domestic airfare. Pricing varies by tour duration and destination.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

CYTS (China CYTS Tours) is a California-based tour operator selling packaged guided group tours primarily to North American Chinese tourists. Its portfolio covers classic China itineraries (Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, Guilin), specialized routes (Tibet, Xinjiang, Silk Road, Jiuzhaigou, Zhangjiajie), Yangtze River cruises via Victoria Cruises, city-based private tours, and international world tours across Asia, Europe, and South America. Each package bundles land accommodations, transportation, meals, entrance fees, bilingual tour guide service, and travel insurance, with optional international and domestic airfare.

Product overview

CYTS (China Youth Travel Service) is a North American travel agency specializing in guided tour packages for Chinese tourists. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of tour products organized into three main categories: China Tours (covering destinations across mainland China including classic multi-city itineraries, regional tours such as Xinjiang, Tibet, Silk Road, and scenic areas like Jiuzhaigou and Zhangjiajie), World Tours (international packages spanning Asia, Europe, and South America), and specialized offerings including City Land Tours (private city-based tours) and Yangtze River Cruises (via Victoria Cruises). All tours feature professional bilingual guides, five-star or best-available accommodations, and comprehensive itineraries with meals and entrance fees included.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• China Tours Comprehensive guided tour packages covering destinations across mainland China, featuring professional English- and Chinese-speaking tour guides, five-star hotel accommodations, and all-inclusive itineraries with no shopping stops. Includes highlights routes, regional and specialty itineraries (Xinjiang, Tibet, Silk Road, Jiuzhaigou, Zhangjiajie, Northeast, Southwest, Central Plains, Inner Mongolia, Southeast, Mountains of Buddhism).
• World Tours International tour packages spanning Asia, Europe, and South America, operated by professional bilingual tour guides with luxury hotel accommodations. Sub-lines include Asia Tours (Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan), Europe Tours (Western and Eastern Europe), and South America Tours (Peru Discovery).
• Classic China Tours High-quality China tour packages featuring classic itineraries visiting major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Xi'an and scenic destinations, with professional English-speaking guides and five-star accommodations. 8-15 day options priced $1,299-$1,699 per person land tour fare plus airfare.
• City Land Tours Private city-based tours (not seat-in-coach) offering flexible itineraries with professional English-speaking guides, five-star hotel accommodations, and no shopping stops. 3-5 day options priced $430-$890 per person depending on season and destination.
• Yangtze River Cruise Three Gorges cruise tours along the Yangtze River aboard Victoria Cruises five-star vessels, including downstream (Chongqing-Yichang) and upstream (Yichang-Chongqing) itineraries. Operated under an exclusive partnership with Victoria Cruises. Priced $499-$529 per person based on season.
• Asia Tours Asian destination tours including Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Taiwan with comprehensive sightseeing itineraries and bilingual tour guides. Examples include Japan 8 days at $2,600-$2,700 land, Singapore/Malaysia 7 days at $1,159 land, and Taiwan 9 days at $1,100 land, all plus real-time airfare.
• Europe Tours European tour packages covering Western Europe (England, France, Switzerland, Italy, Vatican) and Eastern Europe (Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Germany). Land tour pricing $2,500-$3,200 plus $800-$1,200 airfare.
• South America Tours South American destination tours featuring Peru Discovery itineraries and other regional adventures, with bilingual tour guides and selected accommodations. Example: Peru 8 days at $2,800 land tour plus $1,000 airfare.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• ARC (Airline Reporting Corporation)coreOthersOfficial member and authorized air ticket retailer registered with ARC.
• IATA (International Air Transport Association)coreOthersOfficial member with IATA certification for airline ticketing operations.
• PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association)supportingOthersOfficial member of PATA for travel industry representation and networking.
• AIG Travel GuardsupportingOthersProvides travel insurance products for tour customers.
• Victoria CruisescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive partnership for Yangtze River cruises. Victoria Cruises is the only American cruise line currently sailing China's Yangtze River.
• Air ChinasupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPreferred airline partner for international flights to/from China.
• China Eastern AirlinessupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner airline for China domestic routes.
• China Southern AirlinessupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner airline for China domestic routes.
• United AirlinessupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner airline for international routes.
• Cathay PacificsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner airline for international routes.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tour East Holidays: Operator specializing in fully-escorted tours to Asia including China, Japan, and Southeast Asia. Directly comparable as a competitor offering similar inclusive group tour packages to the same destinations CYTS markets to North American travelers.
• China Highlights: China-focused tour operator offering custom and small-group itineraries for international travelers. Directly comparable as a competing English/Chinese-language China tour specialist with similar destination coverage and bilingual service model.
• Gate 1 Travel: Large North American tour operator with extensive Asia and China guided tour programs. Comparable on business model (bundled land + air group tours), target customer (value-conscious North American travelers), and competitive overlap in Asia itineraries.
• Wendy Wu Tours: Major operator of guided group tours to China, Asia, and beyond. Directly comparable on product (multi-day guided itineraries to China), customer base (Western/English-speaking tourists), and bundled airfare-inclusive pricing model.
• Pacific Delight Tours: Long-established North America-based operator specializing in China and Asia group tours. Directly comparable as a peer serving similar North American Chinese and English-speaking travelers with guided multi-city China itineraries.

Broad incumbents

• Abercrombie & Kent: Luxury tour operator with premium Asia, China, and Yangtze cruise programs. Comparable as a broad incumbent operating at the higher end of the tour market with overlapping destination coverage and bundled luxury accommodations.
• CITS (China International Travel Service): State-affiliated Chinese travel conglomerate offering inbound and outbound tours globally. Comparable as a major incumbent player in the China tour space with broader scale, international footprint, and competitive group tour products.
• Trafalgar: Major established tour operator (part of The Travel Corporation) with worldwide guided tours including premium China programs. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering overlapping premium group tour product with global distribution.
• Cosmos Tours: North American tour operator offering affordable guided group tours worldwide, including Asia and China. Comparable on tour format (escorted group itineraries), bundling model (land + optional air), and customer segment (North American leisure travelers).

Others

• Victoria Cruises: The only American-operated cruise line on China's Yangtze River and CYTS' exclusive partner for Yangtze cruise products. Adjacent as a key supplier/inventory partner rather than direct competitor — comparable in the sense that they jointly deliver the bundled river cruise + land tour product.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cytstours
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/china-cyts-tours

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments3 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CYTS